Infrastructure of various differing types is required to harvest energy from natural resources, such as hydrocarbons (for example oil and gas), solar radiation, wind and hydroelectric sources. For a given energy resource type, constituent components of the infrastructure (hereon termed “Energy Infrastructure features” and abbreviated to “EI features”) are often proximally-located to one another within the same locale or geographical region, for example at an oilfield site, a solar power station, a wind farm or a hydroelectric station.
As one example, hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process specific to the hydrocarbon energy industry wherein a hydraulic liquid such as water or gel is injected into shale rock under pressure in order to create or expand cracks to facilitate the extraction of subterranean natural gas and oil. Use of this technique has grown rapidly in recent years.
Water is not only needed to initiate the fracturing process (the injectate), but may also often be recovered, produced or released as part of the operation. This water may be a return of the injected water or may be underground water that is released as a result of the fracturing. The quantity of the returned water can often be large, for example, exceeding by far the quantity of oil obtained from the well.
The nature of the fracturing process therefore brings about a requirement not only to source large amounts of water at the outset of a project, but also to dispose-of or treat and recycle water during the project or upon its completion. Transportation of water from source to site, or between sites, can incur significant costs and thereby reduce the available margin for profit during production. Such costs may be mitigated by identifying and selecting water source, disposal or treatment options that are geographically local to the fracturing site, or which exploit efficient water transport infrastructure such as pipeline networks.
In support of this need for efficient water management in the energy industry, tools to facilitate a dynamic online platform for water sourcing, recycling and disposal may be employed in which buyers and sellers of water source or disposal capacity may exchange information related to either an availability-of or a requirement-for water, including a number of relevant attributes such as its quantity, location, type, and quality.
Such a platform may be further extended to address not only the water resource needs associated with oilfield exploration and development, but also the need and supply of other associated resources, services, or infrastructure.
In further extensions, such a platform may be applied to energy industries other than oil and gas, for example to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectric. By means of example, the platform may be used to provide information regarding the status of a developing solar power station, wind farm or hydroelectric site, in order that users of the platform, such as suppliers of associated services, equipment or infrastructure, are timely-informed of upcoming opportunities and may take the information into account in their commercial planning.
Accordingly, there is therefore a need for a more timely, efficient, reliable, automated and cost-reduced identification of energy infrastructure features and determination of energy infrastructure site status.